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Paige Bueckers honors Black women during ESPYs acceptance speech

The standout freshman point guard used her platform to advocate for equity rather than lauding her own accomplishments

University of Connecticut basketball star Paige Bueckers took home the hardware for best college athlete in women’s sports at the 2021 ESPYs on Saturday, and used her acceptance speech to highlight and celebrate Black women.

“With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women,” Bueckers said. “They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable.